Deputy Speaker of National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri has said that the government is making all out efforts to overcome inherited economic crisis. Businessmen have a key role to play in the country's economy as economic challenges could be tackled with their cooperation.
He was speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday. LCCI's President Almas Hyder, Senior Vice President Khawaja Shahzad Nasir and Vice President Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigal and executive committee members were also present on the occasion.
He said that burden of debt has reached Rs 30,000 billion while a huge amount is required for debt servicing. During the year 2008 to 2018, the governments borrowed Rs 24,000 billion but situation in all sectors of the economy remained discouraging.
He said after holding the reigns, the Prime Minister sought help of Saudi Arabia, China, Turkey and Abu Dhabi to get rid of economic crisis. He said the country would not accept any anti-country conditions by the IMF. Prime Minister Imran Khan is selfless and just wants to put the country on the rail of economic prosperity, he added.
He said that local investors deserve one-window and all other facilities as they are working in difficult circumstances. The business community across the country should have equal facilities. The efforts are well on the way for trade in local currency. He said that 100-day plan was a self-check on the government. He said that Central Asian States and various other markets are being focused for Pakistani merchandise.
Earlier, LCCI President Almas Hyder said that the IMF should be the last option as it is working for just squeezing the developing countries. He said when Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand were facing currency crisis, Malaysia rejected the IMF prescribes. He said that if borrowing from the IMF is essential then no strict condition should be accepted. He said duties and taxes on raw material should be reduced as China is selling finished products less than our cost of raw material.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019

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